MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) - For people struggling with addiction, family crises and mental health challenges, recovery can feel out of reach. On Friday, May 29, Milwaukee County celebrated dozens of graduates who proved otherwise during a treatment court graduation ceremony honoring participants who completed the county's treatment court programs.

The graduates were recognized for rebuilding their lives, reconnecting with their families and reaching a major milestone.

Among them was Jason Farr, a graduate of the Adult Drug Treatment Court program.

"I'm just grateful for the drug treatment court. It helped save my life," Farr said.

Farr said his struggles with addiction began as a teenager and eventually led him down a path of crime and incarceration.

"Everything is about diagnosis. I had to realize that I had a problem with drugs in my life that became unmanageable," he said.

After entering Milwaukee County's Adult Drug Treatment Court, Farr said he found the support he needed to make lasting changes.

Participants in the programs spend months meeting requirements and undergoing regular drug testing as they work toward graduation.

Farr said the program's approach focuses on helping participants succeed.

"There's peer support there to help you, and they don't just lock you up because you had a bad UA. They try to counsel you and get you back on track," he said.

Deshara Cheairs, a graduate of the Healthy Infant Court program, shared her similar.

After leaving a domestic violence situation with her children, Cheairs said the program connected her with therapy, parenting classes and resources that helped her move forward.

"Leaving Infant Court, after going through everything I went through, it helped me find what my purpose is in life," she said.

Supporters of treatment courts say stories like Farr's and Cheairs' demonstrate the impact the programs can have.

Barbara Due, with Milwaukee County Friends of Treatment Courts, said she has seen participants discover strengths that often go unnoticed.

"For years I saw the hidden strength and resilience in my clients. Gifts that the traditional justice system often overlooked. Treatment court helps unlock that potential. They replace hopelessness with opportunity," Due said.

For Farr, the graduation ceremony marked more than the completion of a program.

"Everybody needs some help and I'm just grateful that this place was here to help me get my life back on track and everything's been going great since," he said.

For graduates like Farr and Cheairs, Friday's ceremony represented not just an ending, but the beginning of a new chapter.